Cabinet for filing flat sheets



Dec. 27, 1932. w Ec s 1,891,921

CABINET FOR FILING FLAT SHEETS Filed Jan. 28. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l J3 Z 3 fl X 16 I 0 2-1 Q f 7 6 3 77/14 4 n u nu l/ 0 6/ 77 96 E32 ,z i 5X .30 6'0 X 60 Dec. 27, 1932. w EK$TE|N 1,891,921

CABINET FOR FILING FLAT SHEETS Filed Jan. 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 97 50 i r: I

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1932; l, w. ECKSTEIN CABINET FOR FILING FLAT SHEETS Filed Jan. 28. 1950.

1932- w. ECKSTEIN CABINET FOR FILING FLAT SHEETS Filed Jan. 28, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 IRVING W. ECKSTEIN, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK CABINET FOR FILING FLAT SHEETS Application filed January 28, 1930. serial No. 423,968.

This invention relates to improvements in filing cabinets or structures of the kind employed for filing or storing relatively large sheets, such as blue prints, maps and the like in horizontal layers or stacks.

It has been found that sheets of this kind when stored in the ordinary manner in drawers deteriorate, due to the exposure of the surfaces of the sheets to the atmosphere which finds its way between the sheets, since the sheets are often creased, or have been rolled previously to being placed in the drawers, and, therefore, do not lie in close contact.

Furthermore, such sheets, especially those whlch have been previously rolled, do not remain flat when removed, since the weight of the superimposed sheets is not alone sufficient to permanently flatten the lndividual sheets.

Some objects of the present invention are to provide a filing cabinet or structure for storing sheets of the kind mentioned, in which the sheets can be supported in packs or substantially horizontal layers, and to provide means for exerting pressure upon the packs,

displaced from between the sheets,

such that the air will be largely thus tending to prevent deterioration and increase the life of the contents of the structure; also to provide a structure of this sort with a plurality of substantially horizontal slides or supports upon which the packs or layers of sheets can be placed, and to provide means permitting the slides to be inserted into and partially withdrawn from the cabinet to afford access thereto for insertion or removal of the sheets; also to provide a cabinet of this sort with means alternating with the slides for supporting the latter, and which means also act to exert moderate pressure upon the packs of sheets to hold them in relatively close contact, thereby excluding air from between the sheets to a large extent, and whereby the sheets will remain flat when removed from the cabinet; also to provide a cabinet of this sort having a plurality of movable slides for supporting the sheets, and a plurality of relatively stationary shelves for supporting said slides, and which shelves bulge downwardly and progressively towards the central portions thereof to enable these portions to yieldingly bear upon the corresponding portions of the sheets upon the slides for the purpose above stated; and also to construct said shelves, so that the bulging middle portions thereof, which bear upon the sheets supported upon the slides can yield upwardly as the thickness of the packs of sheets therebeneath 1 is increased.

Other objects are to construct a cabinet of tiis sort having a plurality of spaced, horizontal y disposed shelves for supporting the slides, and to provide the cabinet with adjustable means for exerting lateral pressure upon said shelves in a manner to compress the shelves, so as to cause the middle portions thereof to bulge downwardly for the purpose set forth; also to provide a cabinet of this sort having a plurality of spaced shelves of the c iaracter set forth, and a frame for supporting said shelves in superimposed relation, means on said frame for supporting said shelves, and means engaging the same for eX- erting pressure upon the shelves to cause the latter to bulge; also to provide a frame for this purpose having partswhich are movable in a direction towards the side edges of the shelves, and means whereby said relatively movable parts may be forced against said side edges of said shelves for flexing or bulging the same. 7

Other objects are to provide a cabinet of this sort having a plurality of substantially horizontal slides, and spaced supports n which the latter are mounted, so as to permit said shelves to be moved in and out of the cabinet, and to provide said shelves and said slides with co-operating means, which, .7

while permitting the slides to move easily in and out, also permit said slides when moved outwardly to incline downwardly to a limited extent, so as to facilitate insertion and removal or examination of the contents; and i also to provide each of said slides or supports with means at the front thereof, which, while permitting the front edges of the sheets to be easily accessible for withdrawing the sheets from or inserting them into the slides, i,

nevertheless, act to prevent sheets from slidtical section, on an enlarged scale, showing ing off the supports, when the latter are in the aforementioned inclined forward position.

Other objects are to provide the individual slides or supports with flexible cover means which may be extended over and secured so as to lie closely against the contents to exclude dust therefrom; also to provide means whereby said flexible covers may be readily secured to or detached from said slides or supports, so as to permit the renewal of the flexible covers when worn; also to provide means preventing the flexible covers, when drawn forward over the contents of the slides and secured, from displacing the superimposed sheets in the stack.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel features thereof set forth in the appended claims.

'j'In the drawings: I Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on line 11 of Fig. 2, of an embodiment of my improved cabinet forfiling large sheets flatwise in stacks;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof, approximately on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; ig.-13. is a side elevation thereof, partly broken away and showing the detachable top cover partially removed;

' Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof, showin one of the slides partly withdrawn;

4 lg. 5 i's a front elevation of the cabinet with the slides removed, and with parts of the cabinetin section to show the method of assembly;

llig. 6 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the cabinet with the slides in place therein;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal verticalsection, showing one of the slides partly withdrawn and in cross section; Sis a transverse, sectional elevation of one of the slide supporting shelves before being attached to the cabinet frame;

Fig. 9 is a similar figure, showing the same shelf partly assembled on said frame; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section of one of the slides or supports, and theadjacent portion of the shelf upon which it rests, and showing a releasable latch which normally prevents the complete withdrawal of the slide from the cabinet;

Fig. 11 is a sectional perspective view of a portion of the rear end of one of the slides, showing the means for detachably securing the flexible dust cover thereto;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, longitudinal verthe method of applying the detachable securing strip for the flexible dust cover to a slide.

In the embodiment of'the invention illus trated in the drawings, my improved cabinet or-structure for filing maps, -blue prints and other relatively large sheets in substantially horizontal packs or layers comprises a stationary skeleton frame A, open at the front, a plurality of stationary, spaced horizontal shelves B disposed therein, and each of which supports a shallow, horizontal slide or member C in a manner to permit said slides to be moved into and out of the open front of the cabinet. Each slide C supports a pack or layer of sheets 0.

Each slide C is preferably formed of a single plate of sheet metal and comprises a flat horizontal bottom wall 20 upon which the sheets 0 rest, the longitudinal side edges of the plate being bent upwardly, inwardly and downwardly and again inwardly to form opposite, parallel, hollow side walls 21 and securing flanges 22, the latter being welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the top face of the bottom wall 20. The front and rear edges of the bottom wall 20 are bent to form upwardly extending front and rear transverse beads 23 and 24 respectively. These beads'23 and 24 preferably extend entirely across the slide between the side walls 21 and, as shown, are of considerably less height than said side walls. 7. i

The stationary skeleton frame A preferably comprises front and rear transverse bottom connecting members 30 and 31 of substantially channel cross section, each of which is provided with a-relatively wide, inwardly extending, top horizontal flange 32. Extending upwardly from the opposite ends of each of these members30 and 31 is av'ertical outwardly facing channel 33, each channel member being secured at its lower end tothe flange 32 of the adjacent .member byan angular bracket 34, one flange of which is preferably welded'or otherwise permanently attached to the web ofthe-channel, and the other flange of, which is detachably secured to said flange 32 by a bolt and nut or other securing device 35. The holes 36 at the ends of the members 30 and 31 through which the bolts 35 extend, are preferably somewhat larger than the diameter of the bolts, so as to permit a limited lateral movement of the channels 33 relatively to said members 30 and 31, for a purpose to be explained later.

The upper ends of the channels 33 are connected by a horizontal top member B, pref? erably in the form of a sheet metal plate 40, the side edges of which extend upwardly and inwardly, forming parallel side flanges, 41 and horizontal top flanges 42. The and back portions of the plate are bent upwardly to form inwardly facing channel portions 43. and 44, which are respectively provided adjacent the plate portion 40 with outwardly projecting relatively narrow off-set beads or channel portions 45and 46.

Preferably, the laterallyv extending side flanges 47 of the upright channels 33 of the frameA are cut away at their upper portions front so as to form shoulders 48, over which inwardly extending top flanges 49 of oppositely disposed finishing or side panels 50 engage. These side panels 50 are preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal, the upright side portions of which bear against the edges of the channel flanges 47. The panelsare also provided with inwardly extending bottom flanges 51, which engage beneath the lower ends of the channel flanges 47, and with 0 posite front and rear flanges 52 and 53 w ich extend inwardly over the corresponding faces of said channel flanges, so as to enclose the channels and provide a finished appearance to the cabinet. These finishing panels 50 may be secured to the frame A in any suitable manner as by screws or fastening devices 54, which pass through the flanges 52 of the panel. and the adjacent flanges 47 of the frame channels The rear of the cabinet is also preferably enclosed by a panel 55 provided with top and bottom forwardly extending flanges 56 and 57, which engage respectively the rear off-set channel or bead 46 of the top plate B, and beneath the upright flange of the lower rear cross member 31. The panel 55 may be secured by screws 58 passing through the same into off-set portions of the flanges 53 of the side panels 50.

The frame structure may be completed by a removable top 59 formed of a single sheet metal plate having downwardly and inwardly bent side portions 60 and correspondingly formed front and rear portions 61, which engage respectively upon the top flanges 49 of the side panels, the forwardly extending bead or channel portion 45 of the top plate B, and the top flange 56 of the rear panel 55.

As described, the cabinet is formed to stand as a complete unit, or, if desired, several cabinets may be arranged side by side in contact. The cabinets may also be arranged one upon another, in which case the top cover or plate 59 is removed, and the inwardlv extending bottom flanges 57 and the side flanges 51 of one cabinet are disposed so as to rest upon the side flanges 49, rear flange 56, and off-set bead 45 of another cabinet.

The shelves B. as shown, are disposed within the skeleton frame A. and extend between the upright channels 33 thereof.

Each shelf B comprises a substantially horizontal sheet metal plate of rectangular form provided at each of its longitudinal sides with opposite upright side flanges or wall portions 66 terminating at their upper edges in inwardly directed horizontal flanges 67. The side flanges 66 are preferably made of the same height as the corresponding flanges 41 of the top plate B, and when the parts of the cabinet are assembled the flanges 66 and 41 at opposite sides of the structure extend in vertical alinement and form continuous upright inner side walls, with the plate portion 40 of the top plate B, and the corresponding portions 65. of the shelves B resting on the flanges 67 of adjacent shelves B. The front and rear edges of each shelf B are turned upwardly t0 respectively form front and rear transverse hollow beads 68 and 69.

In order to connect the shelves B and the top plate. B to the skeleton frame A, front and rear connecting and securing rods 70 and 71 are provided. These rods are received in holes 72 in the upright webs-7 3 of the frame channels 33 and extend lengthwise through the front and rear beads 68 and 69 respectively of the shelves. Each rod is provided at one end with a head 74, and is threaded at its opposite end for the reception of a nut 75. The heads 74 and the nuts 75 bear respectively against the outer faces of the opposite channel webs 73, thus securing the shelves in place.

In order to provide a moderate pressure upon the packs of sheets 0 supported on the slides C, means are provided for exerting inward pressure at the edges of the shelves B, so as to compress the shelves to an extent such that the plate portion 65 of each shelf, and also preferably the bottom plate portion 40 of the top member B, will be caused tobulge or be deflected downwardly progressively from the edges to the median portions thereof.

For this purpose, the connecting and supporting rods 70 and 71 are made use of in the following manner. hen these rods have been arranged in the manner just described, and the nuts 75 have been adjusted so as to cause the channels 33 to engage the sides of the shelves B, the nuts are further tightened up, so as to shorten the distance between the nuts and the heads of the corresponding rods, thus moving the channels 33 towards one another to an extent permit-ted by the loose fit between the bolts 36 andtlre holes 35 in the bottom frame members 30 and 31 before-mentioned. This action, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 6, causes the plate portion 65 and the front and rear beads 68 and 69 of each plate B, as well as the front and rear head or channel portions 45 and 46 of he top member B and its plate portion 40, to be bulged or deflected downwardly, since the upright side flanges of said parts B and B positively prevent bulging of the plate portions thereof in an upward direction.

Since there is no slide C beneath the. bottom shelf B, it is unnecessary to bi the plate portion 65 thereof. The connections between this shelf and the frame A can, therefore, be modified, as by omitting the heads 74 and nuts 75 for the. front and rear rods 70 and 71 which pass through the beads 68 and 69 of this shelf, and also by making the distance between the holes in the channels 33 which receive these rods the same as the distance between saidl beads, or, by making theseholes somewhat larger, or otherwise.

Theplateportions of the shelves B, are also "preferably deflected orbulged in a longitudinal direction by arranging the holes 72 in the webs 73 of the front and rear channels 33 at each side of the frame A slightly closer together, center to center, than the center to center distance between the front and rear beads and 71 of the shelves B. In order, therefore, to pass the rods 68 and 69 through the beads, it is necessary to compress the plate portion of each shelf Bin order to bring the beads thereof opposite the holes 72in the channels. This effect is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. It is obvious that-this procedure will effect distortion or downward pressure on the plate portions 65, as shown in the drawings since while the flanges 66. the n selves are not noticeably "distorted, there is nevertheless sufficient unflanged metal between the beads 68, 69 and the adjacent ends of-the flanges 66 to enable the plate portion of each shelf to be placed, as described.

It should be here understood that for the purpose of illustration, this bulging or distortion of the horizontal plate portions 65 described, is considerably exaggerated in the drawings, since these cabinets in practice are relatively wide and deep in proportion to the vertical distance between shelves, soas'to receive large sheets. s

The shelvesB and the member B of each cabinet" are made of" relatively thin sheet metal, and in the sizes of these'members used in practice, are relatively flexible. Therefore, asthe thickness of the'packs of sheets 0 increases by the addition from time to time of further sheets, the bulge of the plates will yield or limited extent so as to accommodate such additional sheets.

By the construction described, sufficient pressure is exerted upon the sheets at all times, and particularly upon the median portions of each pack, .to displace the air between the sheets to a large extent, thus minimizing the deterioration thereof. This pressure, exerted in the manner stated, also tends to remove or reduce the creases, and in the case of sheets which have been rolled previously to their insertion in the cabinet, these sheets are flattened so that they are prevented from rolling up again, when removed.

Upon reference to the Figs. 1 and 7, it will be noted that the side wall portions 21 of the slides C are of approximately the same height as the distance between the adjacent front beads 68 of the shelves B, so that when the slides C are in their rearmost position, the slides incline somewhat downwardly towards the rear with their front portions resting on the front beads of the shelves beneath, and with their rear portions resting upon the rearportions of the corresponding shelves,in hooked plate 95.

give in an upward direction to a which position the rear beads 24 of the slides abut against the rearbeads 69 of the-shelves. hen the slides are drawn outwardly to a position in which their centers of gravity are located forwardly of the front shelf beads 68, the slides C rock to a limited extent upon these beads, so as to incline downwardly and forwardly, with the rear portions of their side wallsengag'ing against the under, sides of the shelves immediately above. This per mits the slides to assume a convenient inclined position in which to examine, insert or remove the sheets.

If desired, means may be provided for normally preventing the complete withdrawal of the slides, such, for example, as gravity latches or dogs 78, one of which is pivotally mounted at 79 in each hollow side wall- 21 of a slide. Each dog has its rear end formed into a hook 80, which extends downwardly through a hole 81 in the slide, so as to abut against the frontbead 68 of the shelf beneath said slide when the latter is drawn forward. If it is desired to remove a slide C, this may be done by pivots 7 9, so as to raise the hooks 8O upwardly into the hollow sidewalls 21 and out of alinement with said :front shelf beads 68, as by depressing an upward projection 82 formed on the front end of each dog, and which normally projects upwardly through a hole'84 in thetop of the corresponding wall 21 of the slide. Any other suitable means maybe provided for thispurpose.

It is'desirable toprovide'meansfor covering' the-packs of sheets 0 on the slides C, so as to exclude (lLlSttlIlCl dirt from accumulat ing thereon; For this purpose, in the construction shown, each slide is'provided with aflexible fabric cover or protecting member 90. Each cover 'is preferably detachably secured along-its rear edge portion 91 to the rearportion of a slide C, and is provided at its front-edge with hooks 92, which, when the cover is drawn taut, can be engaged over the front head 23 of the slide, as shownparticu larly in Fig. 4; By making these covers re movable, they can be readily replaced when worn.

Each cover or protecting member 90is preferably detachably. secured by a removable locking strip or member 94 which is adapt-ed to releasably secure said rear edgeportion 91 of the cover between the rear bead 24 of the slide and an upwardly extending, rearwardly facing hooked plate or member 95 secured upon the top face of theslide adjacent to and parallel with said bead 24, see Figs. 11 and 12. In order to secure the cover, the member 94 and the cover member are arranged-in the relative positions shown in Fig. 12, and are then moved downwardly and forwardly so as to press that portion of the cover adjacent the front edge of the member within. the

The locking member 94 is swinging its dogs 78 about their then forced downwardly into a horizontal position in which its rear edge snaps beneath the bead 24, as shown in Fig. 11, thus securely but detachably holding the cover member 90 in place. Each member 9 1 is provided at its opposite ends with upwardly extending hooks or projections 96 which can be engaged by a suitable tool so as to pry the members out of locking position, when it is desired to remove the cover.

In order to prevent the forward displacement of the sheets at the top of the packs when the cover members 90 are drawn taut, means are preferably provided for re-enforcing or stiffening the back portions of these cover members, so that this portion of each member will extend more or less in an upward direction when secured in place. For this purpose, a re-enforcing strip 98 of suitable relatively stiff, flexible material is secured across the back portion of each member 90 in such position that it will engage partly beneath the hooked plate 95 and extend partly in an upward direction therefrom, when the cover is secured in place, as shown clearly in Fig. 11. These strips 98, by having their lower or rear portions engaged beneath the hooked plates 95, tend to straighten out in arearward direction and oifer resistance to the forward pull exerted on the covers, thus effectually preventing the top sheets of the packs from being pushed forward, as would be the case if the covers were used without such re-enforcements.

By the use of the improved filing cabinet herein described, blue prints, maps and other large sheets can be filed'in an orderly manner and preserved in good condition. The novel bulging or deflection of the shelves provides suflicient pressure upon the packs to largely press out the air from between the sheets, thus preventing to an important degree thedeterioration of the sheets due to gases in the atmosphere. This pressure also flattens the sheets and permits them to remain flat when removed. The bulging of the shelves B can be varied, within limits in a transverse direction by changing the adjustment of the nuts 7 5.

In some instances provision might be required for the accommodation of relatively thick packs of blue prints or the like which may be bound or stitched together. In such event one or more of the shelves B can be omitted or removed.

The use of the flexible covers 90 provides a simple and practical means for protecting the contents of the cabinet against dust, and since these covers are removable, they can be readily replaced when worn.

I claim:

1. In a filing cabinet, a movable slide for supporting flatwise a pack of sheets, and a stationary plate above said slide which is bulged downwardly progressively towards the center thereof so as to bear upon the median portion of said pack thereby displacing air from between the sheets and holding the latter in close contact.

2. In a filing cabinet, a movable slide for supporting fiatwise a pack of sheets, and a stationary plate above said slide which is bulged downwardly progressively towards the center thereof so as to bear upon the median portion of said pack thereby displacing air from between the sheets and holding the latter in close contact, said stationary plate being formed of relatively thin flexible material so as to thereby permit said bulge to yield in an upward direction as the thickness of said pack of sheets is increased.

3. In a filing cabinet, a frame, a plurality of stationary shelves therein formed of flexible material, and disposed in spaced horizontal relation, a plurality of movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves and each of which supports flatwise a pack of sheets, and each of said shelves having a downward bulge which bears upon the top of the pack of sheets therebeneath to hold said sheets in close contact and displace air from between the same.

4. In a filing cabinet, a frame, a plurality of stationary shelves therein formed of flexible material and disposed in spaced horizontal relation, a plurality of movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves and each of which supports flatwise a pack of sheets, and means for exerting inward lateral pressure on said shelves at the edges thereof to cause said shelves to bulge downwardly progressively towards the centers thereof so as to bear upon the median portions of the respective packs of sheets therebeneath,thereby displacing air from between the sheets and holding the latter in close contact.

5. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of slides each of which supports flatwise a pack of sheets, a plurality of spaced, sheet metal shelves for supporting said slides, and each of which has a hollow bead extending transversely across the front and rear edges thereof, a frame having opposite side members, and rods extending through said shelf beads with their ends detachably secured in said frame members for releasably supporting said shelves.

6. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of slides each of which supports flatwise a pack of sheets, a plurality of spaced, sheet metal shelves for supporting said slides, a frame having opposite side members between which said shelves are supported, and means for exerting lateral pressure upon said side members towards and against said shelves to compress the latter and cause the same to bulge downwardly so as to bear upon the packs of sheets on said slides and displace air from between the sheets and therebyhold the same in close contact. 7 a 7 7. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of slides each of which supports flatwise a pack'of sheets, a plurality of spaced, sheet metal shelves for supporting said slides, a frame having base parts, opposite side members extending upwardly therefrom and having a limited lateral movement relatively thereto and between which said shelves are supported, and means for shifting said members towards and against said shelves to oompress the latter and cause the same to bulge downwardly so as to bear upon the packs of sheets on said. slides and displace air from between the sheets and thereby hold the same in close contact.

8. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of sheet metal shelves disposed in spaced horizontal relation, and a plurality of movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves, and each of which supports a pack of sheets fla-twise thereon, and means for exerting inward lateral pressure upon said shelves at their edges to cause said shelves to bulge downwardly into contact with and displace air from between the sheets in said packs. --9. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of slides each of which supports flatwise a pack of sheets, a plurality of spaced, sheet metal shelves for supporting said slides, and each of which has projecting parts atthe front and rear thereof, a frame having pairs of horizontally alined'holes at each side thereof, connecting members extending through said holes and through said projecting parts of said shelves for supporting the latter on said frame, and said pairs of holes at each side of said frame being spacedsom'ewhat closer together center to, center than the center to center spacing of said projecting parts on said shelves, whereby, when said connecting members are passed through said holes said parts are alined therewith, said shelves are compressed and caused to bulge downwardly so as to contact with and'displace air from between the sheets in said packs.

10. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of sheet metal shelves disposed in spaced horizontal relation, and a plurality of movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves and each of which supports a pack of sheets fiatwise thereon, each of said shelves having opposite, upwardly extending side parts, and means for exerting inward lateral pressure upon said shelves, and which, by reason of the resistance offered by said shelf side parts, causes said shelves to deflect and bulge downwardly progressively towards the centers thereof so as to contact with and displace air from between the sheets in said packs.

11. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of sheet metal shelves disposed in spaced horizontal relation, and a plurality of "movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves and each of which supports a pack of sheets fiatwise thereon, each of said shelves having opposite, upwardly extending side parts, and means for exerting inward lateral pressure upon said shelves, and which, by reason of the resistance offered by said shelf side parts, causes said shelves to deflect and bulge downwardly progressively towards the 1 centers thereof so as tocontact with and displace air from between the sheets in said packs, said pressure exerting means being adjustable to vary the deflection and downward bulging of said shelves, as desired.

12. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of sheet metal shelves disposed in spaced horizontal relation, and a pluralityof movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves and each of which supports a pack of sheets flatwise thereon, each of said shelves having a transverse, upwardly extending head at the front edge thereof upon which the front portion of a slide rests when in its rearmost position and across which it rides to and from its forward position, and each shelf also having a-rear, upstanding projection against which the back of a slide abuts, whereby the fronts of said slides are prevented from dropping behind said front beads of said shelves. v

13. In a filing cabinet, a plurality of sheet metal shelves disposed in spaced horizontal relation, and a plurality of movable slides alternating with and resting upon said shelves and each of which supports a pack of sheets flatwise thereon, each of said shelves having a transverse, upwardly extending head at the front edge thereof upon'which the front portion of a slide rests when in its rearmost position and across which it rides to and from its forward position, and said slides when moved so that their centers of gravity, are disposed forwardly of said front shelf beads being tiltable on said beads to a forwardly and downwardly inclined position which is limited by the engagement of the back end of each slide'with the shelf'above the latter.

14. Ina filing cabinet, a plurality of sheet 71315 metal shelves disposed in spaced horizontal relation, and a plurality of movable slides alternating with and resting 7 upon said shelves and each of which supports a pack of sheets flatwise thereon, each of said shelves having a transverse, upwardly extending head at the front edge thereofupon which the front portion of a sliderests when in its rearmost position and across which it rides to and from its forward position, and each I25 of said slides having a gravity latch pivoted therein and which has a part normally extending into the path of the head of the shelf upon which said slide engages and abuts against said head to limit the forward move- 3130 ment of said slide, and said latch being movable to shift said part out of the path of said head to permit the complete withdrawal of said slide.

15. In a cabinet for filing relatively large sheets, a slide for supporting flatwise a pack of such sheets and having opposite side walls between which said sheets are confined, a head at the front of said slide to retain said sheets from forward displacement, a flexible protecting cover secured at its rear edge along the back of said slide, and means at the front edge of said cover releasably engageable over said front bead of said slide to secure said cover against rearward displacement and to hold the same taut upon said pack.

16. In a cabinet for filing relatively large sheets, a slide for supporting flatwise a pack of such sheets and having opposite side walls between which said sheets are confined, a flexible protecting cover for said pack, spaced upwardly eXten ding parallel parts at the back of said slide between which the back edge.

portion locking portion between said spaced slide parts for detachably connecting said cover to said slide.

17. In a cabinet for filing relatively large sheets, a slide for supporting fiatwise a pack of such sheets and having opposite side walls between which said sheets are confined, a flexible protecting cover for said pack, a transverse projection at the back of said slide, a rearwardly facing hooked member on said slide adjacent and parallel with said projection, and a locking bar engaging upon said rear edge portion of said cover to force the same beneath said hooked member, and which is frictionally held in place between said member and said projection to detachably secure said cover to said slide.

18. In a cabinet for filing relatively large sheets, a slide for supporting flatwise a pack of such sheets and having opposite side walls between which said sheets are confined, a flexible protecting cover for said pack, a transverse projection at the back of said slide, a rearwardly facing hooked member on said slide adjacent and parallel with said projection, a locking bar engaging upon said rear edge portion of said cover to force the same beneath said hooked member, and which is frictionally held in place between said member and said projection to detachably secure said cover to said slide, and said locking bar having a part beneath which a suitable tool can be engaged to pry said bar out of locking position for releasing said cover.

19. In a cabinet for filing relatively large sheets, a slide for supporting flatwise a pack of such sheets and having opposite side wall between which said sheets are confined, a flexible protecting cover for said pack, means for of said cover can be inserted, and a member engaging upon said edge of said cover and releasably fitting securing the rear edge of said cover to said slide, means at the front of said cover releasably engageable with the front of said slide to draw said cover taut upon said pack, and said cover having an upwardly extending yielding reinforcement at the back edge thereof which ofiers resistance to the stress exerted upon said cover when the same is drawn taut so as to prevent forward displacement of the upper sheets of said ack.

20. In acabinet for filing relatively arge sheets, a slide for supporting fia-twise a pack of such sheets and having opposite side walls between which said sheets are confined, a flexible protecting cover for said pack, a transverse projection at the back of said slide, a rearwardly facing hooked member on said slide adjacent and parallel with said projection, a locking bar engaging upon said rear edge portion of said cover to force the same beneath said hooked member, and which is frictionally held in place between saidmember and said projection todetachably secure said cover to said slide, and said cover having a relatively stiff, yielding reinforcing strip at said back edge portion thereof, one edge of which extends beneath said hooked member 1 and tends to project upwardly therefrom and offers resistance to the stress exerted upon said cover when the same is drawn taut so as to prevent forward displacement of the up per sheets of said pack.

IRVING WV. ECKSTEIN. 

